Studying mathematics, physics and chemistry abroad: the fundamental sciences

Fundamental sciences such as mathematics, physics and chemistry underpin all technology: AI relies on maths, semiconductors on physics, new medicines on chemistry. "Fundamental and applied sciences" is the field with the most programmes on Azerbaijan's State Programme 2026/27 list, at both bachelor's and master's level.

Main fields

• Mathematics and applied mathematics
• Physics (theoretical physics, quantum technologies, astrophysics, materials science)
• Chemistry (organic, inorganic, physical)
• Biology and molecular biology
• Geology and earth sciences

Why the fundamental sciences?

• Flexible careers — maths and physics graduates succeed in data science, finance, IT and engineering.
• A research path — a strong base for a master's and PhD.
• Less competition — admission can be less competitive than in some popular fields.
• Funding — research-oriented programmes offer many scholarships and assistantships.

Strong universities

• United Kingdom — Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, Warwick (maths), Edinburgh
• Switzerland — ETH Zurich, EPFL
• Germany — TUM, LMU Munich, Bonn (maths), Heidelberg
• USA — MIT, Caltech, Princeton
• China and Korea — Tsinghua, USTC, Seoul National University
• Türkiye — Boğaziçi, METU, Bilkent

State Programme applicants should check that the programme is on the current list: State Programme 2026/27 list.

Admission requirements

• Bachelor's: very strong maths and related subjects; olympiad experience is a big advantage
• Master's: a relevant bachelor's, a strong transcript and research interest

Careers

Research institutes and universities, data science and machine learning, finance (quantitative analyst), pharma and chemicals, energy and materials, education.

Useful articles

• Studying statistics abroad
• Applying for a PhD abroad

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